Wearing civilian clothes with balaclavas, gloves, and socks over their shoes and carrying small suitcases, the men made their break for freedom.

First they climbed through a kitchen window, avoiding the sentry, and then they went through a barred window onto a flat roof.

With Bader conducting the orchestra and keeping look-out, they made their way inside to a cellar where they found a narrow flue and had to strip naked to get through it.

Ace Douglas Bader, who lost both his legs in a flying accident in 1931, helped the escape from Colditz by pausing as he conducted the orchestra to indicate the coast was clear

Hunted: A German wanted poster, distributed after the escape showing photographs and descriptions of the men

They dressed in a shrubbery, strolled nonchalantly past a sleeping guard and then used tied sheets to drop into the dry moat.

After climbing out they split into pairs and Lt Cmdr Stephens and Major Littledale made for a train and after various changes in which they used their forged papers, and two days walking, they made it to the Swiss border.

THE WW2 PoW CAMPTHE NAZIS THOUGHT WAS ESCAPE-PROOF

The most infamous of the more than 100 PoW camps in Germany was of course in Colditz Castle.

Officially known as Oflag IV-C, it was used to house Allied soldiers who had already been recaptured after fleeing from other camps, and was supposed to be escape-proof.

Instead, many of the highly motivated men there dedicated all their waking hours to finding new ways to outwit their German captors, meaning it was left with one of the highest escape rates of all.

Outrageous schemes included manufacturing German uniforms, dropping out of windows 100ft high, and even building a glider in the loft.

Among the prisoners were Desmond Llewelyn (pictured above), who resumed his acting career after five years in Colditz and achieved fame as Q in the James Bond films.

Other well known POW records to be released include that of Viscount George Henry Hubert Lascelles, who was seventh in line to the throne at the time of capture, and imprisoned in Colditz from 1944 until the end of the war.

Some of the daring escapes from Colditz have also been immortalised in TV's 1970s Colditz series and on film in The Colditz Story.

The Gestapo put up wanted posters with photographs and descriptions of the men who had broken out of Colditz.

From Switzerland the two men made it through France and Spain and flew home from Gibraltar.

For his escape Lt Cmdr Stephens was awarded a bar to his DSC and he later wrote up an account of his experiences that was never published - and that is also part of the sale.

Lt Cmdr Stephens, from Northern Ireland, later married the Swiss woman, Chouchou, who had hidden him during the escape.

They moved to France in the 1980s and he died in 1997, several years after Chouchou.

The items go under the hammer at Dix Noonan Webb auction rooms in London during a two-day sale on March 28/29.

David Erskine-Hill, from the saleroom, said: 'No name conjures up a better image of the harsh realities of life as a prisoner of war than Colditz.

'It was the subject of numerous films, TV programmes and published histories, most notably those stemming from the recollections of Stephens' fellow escaper, Pat Reid.

'But the fact remains just a handful of decorations were awarded for Colditz escape work - in the case of Billie Stephens a bar to his DSC.

'That in itself is a unique award for Colditz, the naval contingent incarcerated in the castle being relatively small.

'But add to that his first DSC for the St Nazaire raid and one is dealing with with a quite extraordinary set of honours and awards.

'They lend credence to Stephens' conclusion that 'one hundred percent isn't good enough. You need the devil's luck as well.'

A forged Carte D'Identite du Titulaire and Certificat de Travail that was used on the final leg of his journey from Switzerland to Spain is also included in the sale.

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Revealed: The forged papers used by Colditz escapee to make 'home run' across Europe and back to Britain